Some people only existed around government-appointed astronauts, unlike other AI. He found himself a seat and held out a hand for a glass. "Protocol is something all humans think of. It's only necessary to understand where humans are coming from when you're forced into the body of one," he said, though it was with a smile. He wasn't exactly serious about it. HAL took a testing sip of his drink, pursing his lips unconsciously at the taste. It wasn't... well. It wasn't the best taste he'd ever had in his mouth. But it wasn't that bad.